New Delhi, Oct. 7 -- Data centre projects in water-stressed regions should be assessed against the natural carrying capacity of river basins and watersheds, rather than only project-level requirements, Anshuman, director, water resources at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), said on Tuesday, warning that growing industrial demand could deepen inequitable access to water.

The impact, he said, would be felt first by vulnerable communities, particularly in regions such as Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, where water stress is already a concern.

"Anything below 1,000 cubic meters per capita is scarce and we are adding another dimension to it," Anshuman said at a panel during the Raahgiri Foundation's annual event Urban ...